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Dr. Amy Gutmann

I recently spoke to Dr. Amy Gutmann, the President of the University of Pennsylvania. Gutmann is the Christopher H. Browne Distinguished Professor of Political Science in the School of Arts and Sciences at Penn with secondary faculty appointments in Philosophy, the Annenberg School for Communication, and the Graduate School of Education. She is the author of sixteen books, includingThe Spirit of Compromise: Why Governing Demands It and Campaigning Undermines It, co-authored with Dennis Thompson. Appointed in 2009 by President Barack Obama, Gutmann chairs the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues. She also serves on the National Commission on the Humanities and Social Sciences, and on the Boards of the National Constitution Center, the Carnegie Corporation, and the Vanguard Group.

In this interview, Gutmann talks about the types of students that attend Penn, the skills that recent graduates need in order to be successful, gives advice for students who have student loan debt, and more.

Can you describe what an ideal Penn student is like? What types of students go to your school?

Very much in the mold of our founder, Benjamin Franklin: passionate about learning and practically purposeful in putting it to use. Penn students are extraordinarily talented, hardworking, and diverse, coming from all walks of life across this country and around the world. They relish the greatest challenges, continually pushing themselves to excel and to give back to society.

In your opinion, what skills do you feel that employers are looking for when hiring recent graduates?

To fulfill the new needs of the 21st century, employers are keen to hire creative intellects who are adept at working collaboratively in teams, and who demonstrate the capacity to draw expert knowledge and inspiration from many sources: collaborative, interdisciplinary mindsets. Too often in our national dialogue we talk about higher education as if it were aimed at delivering an elaborate and highly distinct set of advanced shop skills. In fact, the most successful college education promotes creativity and independent thinking; it prepares students to think broadly and solve problems using a diverse set of skills and expertise across different realms of knowledge derived from a broad—and deep—education that crosses disciplines. Its depth and breadth cultivates what is aptly called a T-shaped intellect.

A lot of students are struggling right now with student loans and the fear of not getting a job upon graduation. What advice would you offer them?

First, your education is time, effort, and money well invested in the future of both your life and your career. Over the past fifty years, the average investment in higher education has yielded far greater returns than the stock, bond, gold, or housing markets. And even in the depths of the recent Great Recession, the unemployment rate of college graduates was less than half that of high school graduates. Second, and as important, be as sensible with educational debt as you should be with a mortgage. Invest in a high quality education that has a clear track record of success for its graduates.

What role does diversity have at Penn and in the workplace?

Penn's position as an eminent, world-class university is built on a conviction that excellence and diversity go hand in hand. Why? Because overwhelming evidence demonstrates that diversity in educational and work settings stimulates creativity, which is at the heart of both education and economic innovation. Great universities shape the future by creating an educational environment that stimulates students to develop the knowledge and understanding they need to tackle the world's most pressing challenges. An essential part of educational stimulation is the diversity of backgrounds and perspectives of students as well as faculty, who learn by creatively challenging others and being challenged. A workplace that brings diverse, collaborative teams together also maximizes innovation.

In your opinion, what does the future of education look like? What role might social media play (Blogs, Facebook, etc)?

One of the most critical responsibilities we face as universities is in finding ways to expand access to higher education, both nationally and globally. Penn has recently partnered with peer institutions in an online education platform called Coursera, designed to make innovative, high quality, web-based courses available for free. These courses will enable students, regardless of their residence, to interact online with instructors and one another. While these courses cannot replicate the unique advantages of an intense, face-to-face, on-campus education, they do provide an invaluable opportunity for motivated students and life-long learners around the globe to gain some of the many benefits of a world-class education.